Friday, May 30, 2014

Formosan Termites Swarm in Bluewater Bay, Niceville Florida - Ick!

Ick! Ick! Formosan termites at my Bluewater Bay, Florida home! This is a hard post for me to write. Why? Because I don’t like bugs. I also won’t be able to look at the photo of the Formosan termite once I upload it. What happened? Friday night I did something dumb. I finished cooking on my gas stove top and did not shut the burner off all the way. There was, unfortunately, a little flame going all night. The next day when I went into the kitchen, I shuddered in horror. No, there was no fire, but there were dozens of little rust colored bugs on my stove! Like 70 of them! They were apparently attracted to the little flame or the carbon dioxide that it emitted, and were sprawled and dead all over the stove top. Gross! (Sorry bug lovers!) I did not yet know that these were Formosan termite swarmers, and I called my extermination company. They were booked for four days, so I just prayed these things would not come back.

I slept in terror that night, wondering what was going on in the kitchen. I wanted to send my husband to keep checking, but he refused (guys!) The next day, none of the bugs were present… until last night! Getting ready for bed, right in my bathroom sink, there were three live ones. In the shower, four more! I screamed and called my husband. He said, “I think these are termites”, and he caught several in a little plastic bottle. I again, could barely sleep and dreaded having to make an excursion to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Today, the exterminator from Terminex finally came. I showed him the little bottle of the creatures that my husband had caught. They were still crawling around in there! (Ick!) The exterminator shook his head and said they were, indeed,Formosan termites. He said they swarm for about three weeks every year inBluewater Bay, and we had one week left! I asked why they did not have wings, and he said they drop their wings before mating. Here are other tips I learned:

1. Formosan termites are attracted to light sources after dusk. This could mean YOUR home!

2. Be concerned if you see what looks like mud or dirt spattered on your inside walls. That is the Formosan termite patching its holes.

3. Be concerned if you see several hundred Formosan termites in your Bluewater Bay home in the same area. That could be a sign of infestation.

He looked at my house and said I did not have a problem. But yes, I did!! I wanted to know how to keep them OUT!! Here was his tip:

Turn on your porch light after dusk. If you see them dancing in flight around your light, like a dozen or so, they are swarming in your area. That’s when you need to turn off your inside lights, or they will come down vent pipes to find the light source. Stay in the dark for about 2.5 hours and the swarm should be over. Guess what I will be doing tonight?

Friday, May 16, 2014

Selling Your Burnt Pine, Sandestin FL Home For Sale By Owner?

Are you looking for basic advice on getting your Burnt Pine, SandestinFlorida home sold as a “For Sale By Owner?” Here are some tips that will get you started!

1. Hire a Professional Photography for your Burnt Pine real estate - In the world of the internet, it pays to have good photos of your property online. That’s where most buyers will look for properties for sale. If your photos are not high quality, your home may be undervalued by the buyer or even worse, eliminated. I recommend Ashley Nichole, a top photographer in the Miramar Beach, Florida area. Tell her I sent you – 850-687-1977.

2. Make a Website Describing Your Burnt Pine Home for Sale. If you have a your own website dedicated to your Sandestin Florida home for sale, you can share it with friends or interested buyers. Try Google Sites for a free custom website or GoDaddyfor a $1 per month.

3. Youtube. Upload your Virtual Tour to Youtube to further promote your Burnt Pine property for sale. You can use your camera to make a video or your home, or a free program like Picasa to put photos together in a professional looking presentation.

4. Align Yourself with a Title Company or Local Attorney. When you receive a written offer on your property, you can be ready to take action to close. Better yet, have a title search done in advance to be prepared for any issues that might come up. I recommend Touchstone Land Title in Destin Florida at 850-650-5444.

5. Have a real estate contract ready for your Burnt Pine sale. Ask the title agent (see #4) to provide you with a generic Florida contract. There is nothing worse than losing the buyer because you don’t have paperwork to assist them putting their offer in writing!